AN ice cream van man who invented a machine to put six different flavoured stripes of syrup onto cornets simultaneously is appearing on TV show Dragons’ Den tonight

Jon Hemmings used his engineering background to come up with his patented device, called Mr Stripey, four years ago.

Millions of BBC Two viewers will watch as the 57-year-old and his son Danial, 21 – who together run a fleet of ice cream vans on Anglesey – ask the show’s fiery panel of self-made millionaires for a £90,000 investment in their enterprise.

Although he is sworn to secrecy over whether they succeeded in getting the cash, Jon last night said his business had started to take off since the show was recorded.

His invention puts six different vertical flavoured stripes – bubblegum, lime, strawberry, banana, raspberry and butterscotch – onto an ice cream while it is being dispensed from the machine.

Jon, in business for 37 years, said he believed the machine could make his fortune and it was his ambition to get it installed at tourist attractions like theme parks and zoos.

“There are machines available that put single coloured stripes of syrup on to the ice cream but they are fiendishly expensive and none of them can do six different flavours at the same time,” said the father of two, of Pentre Berw, near Gaerwen.

“I knew that if I could design and patent a device that surpassed what was already out there, our sales could be tremendous.

“The end result is beautiful ice cream with six great flavours that, although they don’t sound like they should work together, somehow do, and there is a great after-taste.

“Our sales have increased by about 20 per cent with Mr Stripey – it is worth £10,000 to £15,000 extra per van every year – and we sell more striped ice cream than any other product.